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Kitchen Myths
Facts and fiction about food and cooking, by Peter Aitken
Never put bananas in the refrigerator – they’ll become inedible
Posted by on April 4, 2011
The skins will darken, but refrigeration slows ripening of bananas the same as it does other fruits. The insides will be fine.
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I was told not to put bananas in the fridge due to a toxin in the peel that will speed up the ripening process of any fruit surrounding the banana. This also may be a myth!
That’s actually true – sort of. Ripening bananas give off small amounts of a gas called ethylene. It is not toxic and is a natural product. It does speed the ripening of other fruits and vegetables, and many people make use of this. If you want to hasten the ripening of, say, a peach or tomato, seal it in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana.